


Proof That Tony Stark Has a Heart

by orphan_account



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Avengers: Endgame, Avengers: Infinity War, Fluff and Angst, Irondad, Marvel - Freeform, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Pure, Spider-Man: Homecoming - Freeform, Tony Stark Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure, Wholesome, help me please, i love Tom Holland spiderman, literally too obsessed with the idea of Tony as a father figure, mcu - Freeform, spiderman: far from home
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-29
Updated: 2019-07-08
Packaged: 2020-05-29 13:44:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,429
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19401517
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: A collection of one shots in which Tony Stark is a father figure for Peter Parker. It’s just so wholesome :)ALSO I WILL NEVER SHIP THESE TWO. I STRICTLY SEE THEM IN A FATHER/SON RELATIONSHIP. LETS NOT MAKE THIS WEIRD THANK YOU!





	1. Carefully, He’s a Hero

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ENDGAME SPOILERS!!!
> 
> What if Peter used the stones instead of Tony?

“And then Doctor Strange did the twirly spark thing and-“ Peter was cut off with a hug. He was taken aback at first, but quickly melted into the hug (though a bit uncomfortable given he was hugging an iron robotic suit). Nonetheless, he muttered “This... this is nice.” Which causes Tony to smile a little to himself. Damn, did he miss the kid. He quickly kissed him on the cheek, hoping he did it too fast for Peter to make a comment about it. He stayed silent but smiled against Tony’s shoulder.

Peter was still trying to grasp onto reality as Tony pulled away from their hug. Apparently he had been dead for five years? But he didn’t remember any of it.... It just gave Peter a headache trying to wrap his mind around it. All he knew was that they needed the stones. So he rushed back into the battle, but not before he flashed his mentor a smile. “I feel better now,” he said, swinging away.

He retrieved the gauntlet from Black Panther amidst the chaos. It was heavy, but he carried it, swinging along. It made him think, he had the power of the universe in his hands... if Thanos was using it to kill everything, what could Peter do with it? Could he possibly save everyone? He pushed the thought out of his mind, attempting to focus as he was surrounded by creatures.  
“Karen, activate instant kill mode,” he said, and he saw the extra legs swinging around madly, slaughtering the creatures that were attacking him.

A Pegasus ride later, Carol Danvers took the gauntlet from Peter, as he was relieved to give it away. It left him to wonder again, but this time his mind took a darker turn.

What if he died today?

What if in this battle... he died? He remembered Tony remarking that if Peter died, that he’d feel like that’s on him. It made his stomach twist, he didn’t like the thought. But then again, if it meant everyone living, would he be able to do it? He then remembered turning to dust, his sense going completely haywire. In a state of panic he collapsed into Tony’s arms, pleading not to die. The prospect still terrified him and that memory was something he wanted to push down. He didn’t want to die, but if it meant saving May, and even Mr.Stark, he would do it.

He just hoped it wouldn’t come to that.

-

He watched intently as Tony faced off against Thanos, unable to look away though he desperately wanted to. Then there was a pang in his gut, telling him to join the fray. But why? He wasn’t strong enough to join alongside Iron Man, the God of Thunder, and America’s greatest defender. He was a kid. All he had was a ridiculous healing factor and some fancy silly string. Yet, his spidey senses were screaming for him to go.  
“Go, Parker. And take them,” said a voice beside him. He jumped slightly, realizing it was Doctor Strange who had spoken to him. Peter just nodded, utterly terrified, and forced himself to move forward towards the mad titan. 

Thanos was very distracted by everyone else battling him, and Peter quickly ducked around, trying to get a visual on the gauntlet. At one point he caught Tony’s eye (not that he knew it because Tony had a mask on).  
“Get away, kid!” Tony basically screamed. “I’m not losing you again,” he said quieter. Of course, Peter had distracted Tony, who got slammed to the ground by Thanos. Peter noticed that the other Avengers has also gotten knocked down.

Shit. This is my fault.

He had to fix it. 

Thanos was walking towards Tony, who was struggling to get up. His suit was pretty wrecked and he had scratches all along the exposed parts of his body. He saw Peter still standing and wanted to scream and shout at him to get out of the way, but he stayed silent as to not draw attention to him.  
“I told you I was inevitable,” Thanos said slowly, grinning. He raised his hand and snapped. Tony closed his eyes, expecting the worst, but nothing happened. Thanos tried again. Nothing.

“No, he didn’t...” Tony whispered. But oh, he did. Peter held the stones in his hand, and not knowing what else to do he slapped them into the back of his hand, hoping the suit would take them. He immediately shrieked in pain. “Peter!” Tony shouted, forcing himself to stand. Thanos whipped around to see the fifteen year old, welding the stones, struggling to lift his arm.  
“H-how did you...?” The Titan stuttered, dumbstruck. Sure, he saw Iron Man possibly doing this, but this was a child. How could he be so easily outsmarted?  
“Because I am...” Peter paused, locking eyes with Tony, who was barely standing. Peter knew in his heart that he had to do this for Mr.Stark. For the world. For May. For his parents. For Uncle Ben. “Spider-Man,” he said, finishing his sentence, and exerting just enough energy to snap his fingers.

And just like that, it was over. The ships and aliens started to dust away, just as Peter had five years prior. Thanos sunk to his knees and disintegrated. Tony could hardly watch that, though. He finally was able to run towards Peter, who had collapsed in a heap on the ground. 

“Kid, kid, kid!” He said, crouching down and lifting Peter’s head up to lean on his chest. Tony had gotten rid of the remnants of his armor. Peter opened his eyes, almost sleepily.  
“W-we won, Mr.Stark,” he mumbled. He was not very coherent. This just sent Tony into more of a state of panic.  
“Yeah, Pete, we did win,” he said, tears filling his eyes. “But, kid, you’ve gotta do something for me,” he begged. Peter was struggling to stay conscious, so he nodded ever so slightly. “Peter, you’ve gotta keep being Spider-Man and j-just... stay alive for me, kid.”  
Peter could feel his body hard at work, his healing factor kicking in, but would it be enough?  
“I-I...” Peter started, but he suddenly went limp in Tony’s arms, his eyes sliding shut. 

Tony was now in a full state of panic, feeling for Peter’s pulse.

It was still there.

\- 

Tony was pacing, back and forth, his mind racing.  
“Honey, please sit down, you’re injured,” Pepper said quietly, approaching her husband.  
“I can't, I cannot, Pepper,” he snapped. She took a step backwards, and Tony sighed. “I-I’m sorry, it’s just... he’s really stressing me out,” he apologized.  
“He’s like a son to you, isn’t he?” Pepper said, turning Tony’s head to face hers. 

Truth was, he had never thought about it that way, but yes. Peter was like a son to him, in a way. He thought of the photo that sat in his kitchen of Peter accepting the Stark Internship. How the kid was why he decided to help the avengers.  
“Goddammit, Pepper,” Tony whispered, burying his face in his hands. He sat down on a chair outside the hospital room, listening to the beeps of the heart monitor. They were slow, but there.

It had been a week.

“Morgan would love him,” Pepper said, sitting down next to Tony, who lifted his head up at the mention of his daughter’s name.  
“Yeah... she would. He’s goofy enough for her, and enthusiastic, too.” Tony remembered the many voicemails Peter had left. “How’s our little girl doing, anyways?” He asked, desperate to change the topic.  
“Spunky and bright as always,” Pepper responded, with a small smile. “She keeps asking for you, though. She snuck into your lab the other night, just hoping you’d show up and offer her a popsicle. She fell asleep in your chair.” This made Tony’s heart drop a little. He hadn’t been there for his daughter since he agreed to help the Avengers.  
“This whole not being selfish thing kinda sucks ass sometimes,” Tony said, trying to lighten the mood. Pepper only smiled, too tired to laugh fully. Anyone would’ve been too tired to laugh.

Another week went by, and then another. A month later, and Tony still spent some time in the Wakandan hospital every day. Though he did leave at times to visit his wife and daughter. Morgan asked why he was always gone.  
“I’m very worried about my friend,” Tony explained to the child.  
“It’s the spider guy, right?” She asked, innocent as ever.  
“Yeah, Spider-Man. He’s a really nice kid.”  
“He saves everyone,” Morgan said, now a bit more somber. She hadn’t fully grasped everything that had happened, but she knew that he wasn’t doing well. Then, she shyly asked, “when he gets better, can you tell him he’s my favorite?” Tony smiled, tears threatening to break through.  
“Of course,” he nodded.

Another week. Tony waited outside the room, anxious as ever. His leg was bouncing. Shuri approached him, offering a small smile.  
“He is doing a lot better than before, Mister Stark,” she said calmly. “I believe it is his healing ability that has been aiding his recovery,” she elaborated. He only nodded in response, thanking her. He knew Bruce would have been helping if he hadn’t been in his own recovery. He also knew Peter’s Aunt May had been around a lot since she found out what happened to her nephew, but Tony avoided talking to her. For some reason he had this feeling of guilt whenever he saw her. He didn’t want to face that he might’ve been able to save Peter all this trouble if he had just stayed out of the fight. Why did he have to take the stones himself? He was just a kid.

Tony also had been given full permission to enter Peter’s room, but he just couldn’t. He didn’t want to see the kid like that. But on this day, he decided “fuck it, I’m going in.”

He opened the door and was just as disturbed as he expected to be. Peter looked pale and ghostly, extremely malnourished and littered with bruises that should’ve healed hours after he got them. The hand Peter had used to snap was completely black. Tony feared touching it, but he did so regardless just because he had to. The skin was rough and felt charred, but he could still feel a pulse through his wrist. Black lines traced up his arm and eventually ended by his shoulder. Seeing Peter in this state just made Tony more devastated, has he knew it would. He let the tears that were held back spring forth in this moment.  
“You’re just a kid, you don’t deserve this,” Tony breathes, wiping the tears from his scruffy face. “It should've been me, you idiot.”  
“M-mist... Stark?” Peter mumbled, his eyes still closed. Tony’s head snapped up, the tears stopping immediately.  
“Yeah, it’s me kid, it’s me. Tony,” he said, taking Peter’s damaged hand. Why wasn’t the hand wrapped up in gauze? Tony didn’t have enough time to consider this. He felt the fingers close around his hand, though Peter’s eyes remained closed. “Y-you can wake up now, Peter. P-please wake up, kid. I’m worried, your Aunt is worried. Even your little nerd friend has been here once or twice with the apathetic girl. Just... for everyone... wake up, kid,” Tony practically begged the comatose boy. There was no reaction though. Peter’s fingers we still squeezing Tony’s, which trapped Tony from moving in the slightest. No way was he leaving now.

\- 

May found Tony, slumped over and asleep by Peter’s bedside, grasping onto his injured hand. At first she didn’t notice her nephew’s fingers wrapped around his mentor’s hand, but when she did she wanted to sob. It was something. Progress of some sort. She left the room, not wanting to wake Tony, whom she was eternally grateful for.

Tony woke with a start, still feeling his hand holding Peter’s.  
“Shit,” he mumbled, running fingers through his hair. “You’re really stubborn, aren’t you, Peter?” Tony had a ghost of a smile.  
“S-Stark, I don... feel so good...” Peter slurred groggily. It sent a pang through Tony’s heart. He could only imagine what Peter was reliving in his head in that moment. “I-I don wanna go,” Peter mumbled again, a little more coherent.  
“Peter?” Tony said desperately, his heart aching for the kid.  
“I don’t... don’t wanna-“ Peter shot up suddenly, his heart monitor quickening significantly. His eyes were open wide, then he squinted, adjusting to the light. Tony could cry. In fact, he did exactly that. Peter heard the sob escape Tony’s mouth and turned toward him sharply, still pretty unaware of his surroundings. “M-Mr.Stark? What am I...” he looked down at the hand Tony was clutching onto. It was completely black. “How did I...?” Then it all came flooding back. It hit him like a ton of bricks. “W-we won, didn’t we?” Peter whispered. 

“Yeah, Peter, we won. You saved us, kid.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Decided to hit ya with the angst early on, but I’m not too big of a fan of unhappy endings. Also this is my first time using Ao3 so feedback is certainly welcome!


	2. Legacy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> SPIDERMAN FAR FROM HOME SPOILERS!  
> AVENGERS ENDGAME SPOILERS!  
> YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!
> 
> Peter deals with his mistakes and the path set before him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Do not read this if you haven't seen Far From Home yet.  
> Also if you haven't seen it, it's very good so go do it.

Putting his hands where Tony's once were felt weird and off. Peter breathed in, glancing towards the front of the plane, but Happy wasn't watching him. He let out a shaky breath, letting the tears that had threatened to escape his eyes fall freely now. He didn't want to have to live up to Tony Stark (and Happy was right, no one could), but he knew this is what was expected of him. From the public, from the press, from everyone around him. He didn't do well under that pressure, and that became obvious when he surrendered Edith to Quentin Beck. Peter cursed under his breath, wiping away his silent tears, and breathing slowly. _Mr.Stark_ _wouldn't want you to cry over him or over your own dumb mistakes_ , he told himself. _No, he'd just want you to go out there and be better._ That was right, wasn't it?

But was Quentin right? Would Tony still be alive if he'd been more responsible, if he'd been less of a kid?

_I just wish I could talk to him._

He knew this wish wouldn't come true, so instead, he got to work, building his own suit. A new and improved suit that combined all the great parts of any other suit he had previously had. He designed it to be red and black (he thought the blue was just a little too cheesy and cartoonish. I mean, he's sixteen now. Totally mature). Then, he was off to save the world from the lies of Mysterio.

-

So yeah, that happened. Beck was dead. And of course, it was Peter's fault. Yes, he lied to Peter and tried to take advantage of the teen, but he was still a person.

_It's the freaking Peter Parker curse. You get close to me and then you die._

Peter didn't want to look in the mirror. He was back in Queens, and things had more or less returned to normal. His aunt May finally left him alone after his long trip, and he was done calling Ned and MJ to fill them in on the details. Yeah, he had a date with MJ the next day, but that sounded like a later problem. Now, he was dealing with whatever was to come next regarding his superhero duties. He was looking through blue-tinted lenses, staring at his own hands. But they didn't feel like his own hands. Less than twenty-four hours ago there was blood under those fingernails and a pounding in his head and heart. He looked up at his bathroom mirror, and almost laughed at how ridiculous he looked. Ever since returning home, his emotions were all out of whack (May joked that he was on his period), and this was further supported by the number of times he randomly began crying. Not even crying at anything in particular. Just _crying_. Even now, he looked into his own teary eyes through the glasses he wore. He concluded that they looked too big on his head, and they were just too mature for him. He hadn't used Edith, either, since having to do so to stop Beck. He was almost afraid to. He cringed at how he had almost killed his classmate (and possibly himself). He remembered how Quentin remarked on that. 

Maybe the guy had been a selfish liar, but his words constantly stuck with Peter, eating away at him. He tried to shake them off, thinking of something else, anything else.

Like when he met Mr.Stark.

He had said he was just looking out for the little guy. _And look at me now!_ He stared at himself in the mirror, his eyes red and his hair a complete mess. _I'm grappling with my future as possibly being the next Iron Man. But do I even have a choice?_ Peter took off the glasses and held them in his hands, remembering Quentin wearing them. _I trusted someone else with that responsibility and he took advantage of me. So does that mean it's now my responsibility to not trust anyone else being the next Iron Man, or does it mean that I'm not qualified to be the next Iron Man?_ He carefully put the glasses down on the sink, breathing heavily. Suddenly, as a surprise to himself, he punched the mirror, shattering it with his fist. Luckily for him, May was at work so he would be able to delay the conversation of how and why his mirror was destroyed. 

_All I wanted was to be treated like an Avenger when Mr.Stark was alive... but then I learned I didn't want all that and it was thrust onto me anyway._  
  
"I just... I need your help, Mr.Stark," Peter mumbled, sitting on his toilet, the lid down. Edith projected a hologram. It was Tony. Peter couldn't look at it, he knew it wasn't real, just like Mysterio's illusions. 

"Hey kid," the hologram said. "You're seeing this because Edith heard you say something along the lines of you needing me right now, so here I am. Um, I'm not actually _here_ , per se, but I'm hoping this will help you somehow." Peter dared to look up, locking eyes with hologram Tony. "Listen, Peter. Whatever it is that's troubling you probably shouldn't be because you're a _kid_ , yet here you are. I'm not able to predict the future, but I'm assuming that you're under pressure to be like me. And I've said it before, but I'll say it again-" Peter joined Tony in the sentence, "I don't want you to be me, I want you to be better than me." Peter chuckled. Advice from a simpler time. "I left the glasses behind because I know you can handle it, Peter. I may have doubted you in the past, and maybe you're doubting yourself now, but you are so much more capable than anyone could ever imagine. I mean, you went to space and fought against Thanos! If you're seeing this, I-I'm hoping that that means Thanos is gone." Tony went quiet for a minute. "Look, _underoos_ , I didn't take you in and give you a new suit for the hell of it. You're a good person, Pete, better than I can ever be."  
"That's a lie, Mr.Stark. You died for all of us," Peter whispered to himself, as the hologram continued to speak to him.  
"I'm rambling here, kid. What I'm trying to say is that you're capable of great things. You are so intelligent, so don't blame yourself for the evil people in the world. Whatever pressure you're under now should not bother you, as long as _you're_ okay in _yourself_. I too had to handle a lot from a young age, so I guess I can say I understand. I just hope they're not all giving you such a hard time. When I was a teenager, I really could've used some guidance... and I never had it. I hate to not be your guidance, Peter. I tried my best when I was still alive... but if you're seeing this then I'm probably not around." Tony stopped, letting out a sigh. Peter's eyes were watery again. "I wouldn't have gone back to fix what Thanos did if I thought you wouldn't be around, kid. So do me a favor and make it worth it, okay? You can handle it, I know you can." Peter wiped his eyes, bowing his head and staring at his feet. 

"Look at me, kid," the hologram instructed. Had Tony really known that Peter would stop looking at him at that moment? He lifted his head. "You better be looking me in the eye, Peter." Tony paused, thinking hard about what he was about to say. He hesitated, and then, "You're like a son to me... which I'm sure is difficult to believe, but it's true. I love you. You're gonna do great things, Spider-Man." Hologram Tony smiled through watery eyes, and the message ended. 

"Goddammit, Tony," Peter choked through his own tears. He took a big, unstable breath in and let it out, attempting to stop the crying that seemed to have been constantly plaguing him since he returned to the US. "You're right, aren't you? You're always right," Peter breathed. "I can do this, I know I can do this. Spider-Man can do this."

Peter put the glasses on, stepping over the glass of his broken mirror. "I may not be Iron Man," he said to himself. "But I am Spider-Man."

He paused.

"Hey, Edith."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I saw Far From Home today at the first screening that the AMC in my town offered: 10:45am. It was great. I mean the first part of the movie before the Mysterio reveal was reaaally slow for me, and I was underwhelmed (I though the movie was almost over at that part lol), but I think it was meant to be slow. I always knew Mysterio as a villain in the comics, and I was almost wondering if they were somehow going to make him a good guy, but then he revealed himself and I was like "ah, there it is". I thought it was very interesting how all the people were people who previously worked under Tony Stark, that was interesting. My favorite part was easily when Mysterio trapped Peter in all his illusions. It was hella trippy and cool af. Great CGI and cinematography. The moments when Tony came up were real heart-clinchers for me, and so I wrote this to follow.
> 
> Also, I'm VERY curious to see what happens next since everyone probably thinks Spider-Man/Peter Parker is a villain now. Gotta wait til 2021 I guess. Maybe I'll survive, maybe I won't, we'll see.


	3. Downtime

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony and Peter bond in Tony's lab.

Just when Tony had drifted off a little, he heard a "dammit!" from the teen behind him. Jerking up from his computer screen, and turning around, he saw Peter, white web clinging to his face. Tony suppressed a chuckle, "You need help with that, kid?" He asked as Peter struggled to rip the web off his face.   
"No, no I'm all good over here!" he lied. He wasn't very convincing, so Tony stood up and walked over to Peter, helping him. He used a chemical to dissolve the web, leaving only a very red-faced Peter. "Thanks," the teen breathed, turning back around in his swivel chair. "Don't mention it," Tony said, walking back to his computer, determined not to doze off again. "I'm assuming you're working on a new web, then?" He asked, looking to make small talk in the awkward silence.   
"Uh, yeah. I'm trying to make it stronger. You can always work to be better I guess," Peter said, avoiding eye contact with his mentor. He knew it was stupid, but he still got nervous around Tony Stark just because he was _Tony Stark_. Peter added another chemical to his mixture, which turned his web fluid purple. He cursed underneath his breath, knowing he had done the wrong thing.   
"Watch the profanities," Tony said sarcastically. Peter rolled his eyes, turning to face him.  
"One: I've definitely heard you say way worse. Two: I'm fifteen. Come spend a day at my high school and listen to everyone else and then talk to me."  
"One: I'm an adult, I get to say whatever the hell I want. Two: I never went to high school so I wouldn't know," Tony responded, pulling up holographic image of his suit in front of him.   
"You never went to high school? That's, like, missing out on a whole phase of your life!" Peter said in disbelief. "They're your formative years, or whatever." Peter noticed that Tony hadn't turned around to engage in their conversation, which disappointed him a little bit. He turned his chair back around so the two were now back-to-back across the room from each other. 

Tony didn't want to talk about his "formative years" (partially because Peter hit it on the nose: they didn't happen), so he let the conversation die and the awkward silence ensued. Both of the nerds were left to their own devices, ignoring the quiet room. Tony worked on upgrading his suit to a new model, while Peter worked out the right combination of chemicals to form a stronger web. Peter didn't even realize that the hours were passing as Tony Stark's silence left his mind and he became completely focused on his little project. Soon, he had worked right through when he'd normally eat dinner and it was getting close to ten o'clock when I finally felt his stomach growl. As a growing teen spider boy skipping meals was not the best idea, but he ignored his hunger, determined to work on his webs until he got it right. An hour later, Peter was snapped out of his focus by Tony's voice.

"Kid, it's like, eleven and you haven't eaten anything," he pointed out, the hologram of his suit disappearing as he turned to face Peter.  
"I just need to get this one thing done and then I'll-"  
"No, Pete, you're done with that, okay?" Peter nodded and went to grab his school bag. He hadn't even considered his homework yet. He was glad it was a Friday. "Woah, woah, woah, underoos, where do you think you're going?"   
"Home...?" Peter said, confused. "I thought that's-"  
"No, kid, I meant I'll feed you something. Also, you're not heading out on your own at this time, you don't even have your suit with you," Tony said, rising from his chair and stretching. He had been sitting for hours.   
"Y-you don't really have to do that, Mr.Stark, sir. I, um, I can get back home just fine. I'll be outta your hair in just a second," Peter stammered, collecting his things. Tony walked up to the teenager and grabbed his backpack from his hands.   
"You're not going anywhere, Peter. Hunker down, you're staying at the Stark residence for tonight." Peter opened his mouth to protest, but Tony put up his hand, cutting him off. "Plus, if I send you home this late your aunt will kill me."  
"I am completely capable of getting home on my own Mr.Stark," Peter argued, following Tony upstairs as he walked. "I mean if I can fight Captain America and survive, I think I can make it back to Queens without hurting myself."  
"Listen, kid, I'm a stubborn man. So when I've made up my mind about something, _I have made my mind up about something_."  
"Mr.Stark, I-"  
"Nope, you're not getting your way with this one, Peter. Just accept it and move on. Maybe text your aunt that you're staying so she doesn't worry all night. After that, Peter gave up protesting against Tony, responding with a feeble "okay" as he pulled out his phone to let May know he was staying with Tony.

**Peter: Mr.Stark has trapped me in his lab and refuses to let me leave because it's late. So I guess I'll see you tomorrow**

**May: Thank him for me. I don't want you out late <3**

Peter rolled his eyes. _I've been out on patrol later than this_. That wasn't something May needed to know. 

"Are you feeling more freezer burrito or freezer pizza?" Tony asked, getting Peter's attention.   
"You're a multimillionaire and my options are freezer foods?" Peter teased.   
"Not everything I do it glamorous, kid. Sometimes I like to eat some junk to be a little modest, ya know?"  
"Yeah, and I'm sure you'll be having caviar with the president tomorrow night." Peter smirked at Tony's chuckle. "But I guess tonight you'll be having freezer pizza." Just like that, the pizza was in the oven and the two had to wait for twenty minutes to actually eat. This is when Peter realized just how hungry he'd been. He hadn't eaten anything in nearly twelve hours. He reminded himself not to make a habit of it. 

"You know I met you once before you had me fight with the sokovia shit," Peter blurted. He kinda regretting mentioning it, realizing he'd have to explain himself.   
"Language," Tony muttered. When Peter didn't respond, "Go on," he urged.   
"I forget how old I was, but I was like, a kid," Peter started. "And I was walking wherever I was and then this robot thing just started stomping around. I was scared out of my mind... but I had a crappy plastic Iron Man mask on. And I remember thinking 'yeah, I can take that thing!' and so when everybody else ran, I stayed. I had these fake glowing gauntlet thingies, too, and for whatever reason, I thought I could actually destroy this enormous robot with my Iron Man costume and toys." Peter hesitated a moment. Why was he telling this story? "Anyways, so I'm about to 'blast' this thing and then it gets shot by _you._ I mean, I convinced myself for months that it was me that did it but of course, I knew it wasn't. You landed behind me and said 'nice work, kid,' and then flew off." Tony smiled to himself. He vaguely remembered the picture Peter was painting, but of course, was unaware the child he saved was Peter Parker. Peter continued, "Yeah... so you were literally my favorite hero when I was young... and when I got bit and found out I had powers... I knew I had to do something with them. Help out the little guy, as I had literally been. Then you literally showed up at my apartment and it was, like, _woah_. Like it was all destiny or something." Peter was finished, and then he realized how dumb the last part of his story was. He was acting like an Iron Man fanboy to his face. He tried to save himself, "b-but destiny isn't, like, uh, _real_ or a-anything. That's kinda stupid, i-isn't it...?" 

_Smooth._

"I don't know about that, Peter. Kinda sounds like destiny to me," Tony responded reassuringly. Peter didn't know how to respond, so he just nodded and stayed silent. Then, quieter, Tony said, "I'm glad I saved you." Peter flushed a little and smiled, sitting on a stool by the island counter in the kitchen. The marble was cold as Peter folded his arms and rested them there, also resting his head in his arms.   
"Thanks for saving me, Mr.Stark," Peter said, avoiding eye contact.  
"You don't have to call me Mr.Stark anymore, Peter. I think we're past that," Tony responded, casually. Peter was surprised by this.   
"U-um... okay... Tony...?"  
"Yeah, that's better. You calling me 'mister' makes me feel old."  
"Maybe because you _are_ old," Peter teased, trying to lighten the mood.   
"I won't listen to a freshman tell me how old I am," Tony said, face completely straight.  
"Well, I'm a sophomore, so I guess I can." Tony inwardly facepalmed for getting Peter's grade wrong. He made a mental note to remember that the kid is older than he thought.

The oven beeped.

"Pizza's ready," Tony said, glad to have an excuse to drop the conversation, still slightly ashamed of misgrading Peter. He wouldn't show it, though. 

-

The two were sprawled out of opposite ends of the couch, the time reading 2:06 am. Tony figured he should at least try to sleep in an attempt to feel somewhat normal the next morning. He was about to speak to the teen when he realized that he was passed out, completely asleep.   
"Guess you're not an insomniac, like me," he muttered, looking at the peacefully sleeping Peter. Tony found a blanket and draped it over the teenager on the couch lingering for a second, just watching him. After hesitation he stroked the kid's wavy hair, smiling at how soft it was. Then, he quickly decided that what he was doing was incredibly creepy and retreated to his own room. 

But he knew it wasn't creepy. It was maternal. Fatherly. He was a little afraid of that, but also glad.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I guess today was a two-post day. Seeing the movie has rekindled my inspiration to write about this kid.


	4. I Don't Care

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony Stark cares, but of course, denies it.

Tony pinched the bridge of his nose, letting out an oh-so-dramatic sigh, letting his hand rub down his face. _I need to shave_ , he thought to himself, standing up. Rising from his chair took more effort than he'd like to admit, as he was pushing 5:00 am, an astounding 20 hours without sleep. But he didn't want to sleep, and he doubted that he could even if he did feel like it. He had always been quite the insomniac, so awake he was, early on a Saturday morning. Then, FRIDAY spoke to him, slightly starling him in his exhausted state though he had been dealing with the AI for years. 

"Peter Parker's heart rate vitals are irregularly high, sir." Tony snapped his head to the screen beside him, which was blank.  
"Pull up his vitals and location," Tony ordered, and the screen lit up. Peter was obviously anxious, whatever it was he was doing, as his heart was beating irregularly fast. He glanced at his location, and it just showed his apartment, and Peter wasn't moving. Tony furrowed his eyebrows.  
"Hey, FRIDAY, send one of my suit bots to check on the kid." He walked over and put his electronic glasses on, seeing what the bot could see as it left his residence. It flew above the city and eventually reached Queens, lowering quietly to a window. There he could see Peter in his suit sprawled out on his bed, his mask off and his eyes closed. "He's asleep," Tony muttered to himself. Peter wasn't in a peaceful slumber, though, he was shifting uncomfortably in his bed, trashing once or twice in the minute that Tony spied on him. "Okay, this is officially weird," Tony said aloud to himself, taking the glasses off.   
"What is weird?" FRIDAY asked Tony. He regretted making the AI a bit human in the moment.  
"I'm looking at a sixteen-year-old while he sleeps through his apartment window at..." he glanced at his watch "four fifty-five in the morning."  
"It is not as if you're looking at a stranger, though, sir. This is Peter Parker, whom you care for," FRIDAY explained.  
"Care?" He spluttered, laughing a little in spite of himself, "no, FRIDAY, I just feel like it's my responsibility to make sure the kid isn't hurt. I'd never live that down," he explained.  
"Correct me if I'm wrong, sir, but is that not caring?"

He froze for a split second, before speaking again.  
"I just don't want to feel guilty if he's injured or something," Tony excused. "Also, FRIDAY, shut up for now," he ordered before the AI could input it's opinion again. With a moment's hesitation, Tony put the glasses back on, mumbling to himself, "Just one last check." He saw Peter now awake, breathing heavily, and staring at nothing in front of him. Tony couldn't help but notice how tightly Peter's hands gripped his bedsheets and how he had broken out into a sweat.  
"You're okay, you're okay," Peter assured himself in a trembling voice, hardly audible. Peter's breathing had not slowed, in fact, his breaths were more staggered and quick. He squeezed his eyes shut, shaking his head. "Peter, get a hold of yourself! You're Spiderman. You're in your apartment in Queens and you live with your Aunt May." His dialogue to himself (and, unknowingly, an iron man suit hovering right outside his window) seemed to calm him down. His breaths were longer and more spaced out, and he opened his eyes, releasing his grip on the bedsheets. That's when Peter stood up, albeit a bit shakily. He pressed the spider in the middle of his chest and his suit became baggy on his body.  
"And this is when I leave," Tony said to himself, taking off the glasses and ordering FRIDAY to bring the robot suit back. He released a breath he didn't know he had been holding and ran fingers through his hair. "Stark, what the hell are you doing?"

\- 

The next time Tony had to deal with Peter was when FRIDAY again alerted him, a week later.  
"Sir, Peter Parker is experiencing an unsafe amount of blood loss," the AI spoke. Tony, again, reacted immediately asking for Peter's vitals and location. It was close to midnight and while Tony couldn't exactly blame the kid for being out so late, he had to admit that he wasn't a fan of it. He quickly discovered Peter to be in an alley, staying still.  
"FRIDAY, get my suit ready, will you?" Tony requested anxiously.  
"Sounds like you _care_ , sir."  
"Since when did I give you sarcasm, FRIDAY?"  
"I am a learning computer, Mr.Stark. I observe my surroundings and educate myself appropriately." In other words, the AI had learned sarcasm from Tony. He cursed himself for using such advanced technology as he stepped into his suit and flew off into the New York sky. The suit gave him directions to Peter's location and he was there in a matter of minutes. When his feet touched the ground, Peter was just slumped against the wall of the alleyway, mask off, holding his left shoulder, obviously in pain. That didn't change his shock when Iron Man touched down in front of him.  
"M-Mr.Stark," he stuttered out, voice weak.  
"Save it for later, kid," Tony said, his faceplate lifting. "You okay to move?"  
"U-um, yeah I should be fine," Peter half-lied, still in disbelief. He forced himself to stand, still holding onto his shoulder tight and wincing at the pain, letting out small grunts as he stood. He held his mask tight in his free hand as Tony approached him, putting an arm under each armpit to hold him while they flew. Peter couldn't help hissing out an "ow ow ow _ow,_ " at the contact with his left shoulder, there was no way he could stay in that position suspended in midair.  
"This isn't gonna work," Tony muttered, sighing. "There's no good way to put it, kid, I'm basically gonna have to hold you like an infant." Too distracted by his pain at the moment, Peter nodded silently. Letting the faceplate cover his visage again, Tony moved to put an arm around Peter's torso and then lifted up his legs so his other arm was wedged in Peter's knee-pits. As Tony rose into the air, Peter finally realized the situation he was in and blushed a little, hoping Tony couldn't see him in the dark.

When the two returned to Stark tower, Tony had let Peter change quickly, giving him an old t-shirt and a pair of sweatpants to wear. Peter returned from the bathroom to find Tony on the living room couch, a holographic screen pulled up in front of him.  
"Mr.Stark, you didn't have to-"  
"Let's see the shoulder, kid," Tony cut him off, beckoning Peter over with his hand.  
"I'm sorry?"  
"Your shoulder? What happened to it? You had a considerable amount of blood loss from your shoulder," Tony said, straight to the point.  
"I really appreciate it, Mr.Stark, but I don't need your-"  
"Peter, you're seriously hurt and need to be taken care of. Yes, you need my help." Peter remained silent, but moved toward Tony and sat down next to him on the sofa. Tony noticed the red staining on the t-shirt he had lent to Peter. Tony gave him a look, and Peter just nodded, slipping the shirt over his head, avoiding any more eye contact with Tony. The situation was already embarrassing enough.  
"Kid, you got shot," Tony said, in a tone Peter couldn't decipher. He clamored to explain himself.  
"It was just a bank robbery! But these guys were very good at it and there were, like, ten of them at least. I thought I had taken them all out but apparently, this one guy was-" Tony cut the teen off for the umpteenth time that evening.  
"Peter, I don't care, you need medical attention," Tony said sternly. Peter remained silent. Was Tony mad at him? Tony just stared at Peter's wound, afraid to touch it. "It at least seems as if the bullet isn't lodged in there," he mumbled, typing something on his phone.  
"Really, Mr.Stark, I'm all good! My healing factor will take care of this all within a day or two. Really," Peter tried to assure his mentor, but to no avail. Tony only shook his head and lifted the phone to his ear, speaking.  
"Yeah, Bruce, I need your help."

-

Peter's shoulder had been patched up, Aunt May had been called and though she was worried about her nephew, she entrusted him to the billionaire with hesitant words. Tony had officially gone twenty-four hours without sleep (not to mention the other all-nighter he had pulled when spying on Peter a week earlier).   
"Thanks, Mr.Stark," Peter mumbled, sitting on the couch again, staring at his hands. He was obviously embarrassed at the situation, though Tony didn't seem to understand why.  
"You should rest up, kid," he said, sitting himself down on the opposite end of the sofa, offering Peter a small smile.  
"I... uh...." Peter trailed off, rubbing his thumb against the side of his index finger. Tony obviously awaited a finished thought, so Peter continued shyly, "I'm not sure I can get to sleep at this point." The teen fully expected Tony to just haughtily tell him to try sleeping, but to his surprise, Tony nodded understandingly.  
"Yeah, I get it," Tony said, locking eyes with Peter. "I don't sleep much, either, kid." A silence fell between the two for a moment, before Peter spoke again, now quieter.  
"I, um... I get these nightmares," he explained further. Tony only nodded, trying to not make it obvious that this was something he already knew based on literally stalking the kid a few nights prior. "A-and sometimes I avoid sleep because of them, and if I go to sleep and have them I don't go back to sleep after waking up." Tony could only think of the image of the kid sat up in his bed, obviously fighting off a panic attack. Tony just nodded again, his insides twisting at the memory. Why did the memory invoke such a reaction from him?   
"I, um... I get those, too. I have a plethora of traumatic experiences to choose from," Tony joked, he only got a small, sad smile from Peter. His face fell soon afterward, though, as he seemed to be thinking of something.  
"Despite all the bad guys I've had to fight and the scary things that come from that, I never get nightmares about that stuff," Peter elaborated, his fists were now balled up in his lap. "U-usually I... I, um...." he had a hard time forcing the words out to Tony. In fact, the man was just about to tell him not to worry about finishing the explanation when the boy blurted, "I-I relive seeing my uncle being shot." Peter's voice was slightly unstable, and his body had gone stiff. Tony couldn't speak. He knew that the uncle had died from what May had told him, but he had no idea that Peter had been present. "I was, what? Nine, maybe?" Peter went on, seemingly lost in his own train of thought. "And he was shot in the... in the shoulder first. Then they got him in the head." Peter had absent-mindedly brought his own hand up to his wounded shoulder, only flinching a little when he touched it. "I couldn't do anything about it... so I just _ran._ I wasn't Spiderman yet."  
"You don't need Spiderman to be a good person, Peter," Tony said firmly. He realized how wrong that sounded after the words left his mouth, and scrambled to try to remedy his phrasing, "not that you _weren't_ a good person by running, I just meant-" it was time for Peter to cut Tony off.  
"I know what you meant," he assured, with a quick smile. He raised his eyes to meet Tony's. "Thanks. And, like, not just thanks for saying that. Thanks for everything. Like _everything_ everything. I-I'm kinda just a dork in a shitty sweatshirt and goggles without you. Now I'm a dork in a super cool tech suit," Peter said, attempting to lighten the mood. Tony let himself smile.

Eventually Peter had drifted off to sleep on the couch, and Tony was still awake, watching the sleeping teen for the second time in a few days.  
"Peter Parker's suit has been fully repaired, sir," FRIDAY's voice echoed throughout the room.   
"Shush, FRIDAY. The kid's asleep," Tony scolded, keeping an eye on Peter. He hadn't stirred.  
"What, you _care_ about Peter?" The AI teased with just a little too much humanity to its tone.  
"Remind me to reprogram your speech processors," Tony mumbled. 

But he hadn't said that he _didn't_ care.


End file.
